Improved washing-machine



,Staten @met @if SPENCER B. PEUGH, OF SALEM, INDIANA.

Letters Patent No. 88,806, lated April 13, 1869.

IMPROVED WASHING-MACHINE.

l l The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part:y of the same.

To all whom 'it may concern B it known' that I, SPENCER B. PEUGH, of Salem,

Washington county, in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVashing-Machines; and I hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The nature or essence of my invention consists in arranging two boards or rubbers vertically upon arms or cranks, so as to allow them to be traversed edgewise horizontally, in pivoting said rubbers upon links, the opposite end of those holding one of the rubbers being pivoted in a movable platform, operated in a lateral direction by a crank-shaft, acted upon by a spring (or weight) to press one rubber toward the other, the tension of said spring heilig adjustable by means of a rag-Wheel and pawl, and said crank-shaft being provided with an arm, by operating which the rubbers may be separated.

In the drawings hreinbefore mentioned- Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my improved machine.

Figure 2, an elevation of certain parts, indicated by the letters upon them.

The box or tub, A, holds the washing water, and has the mechanism of the machine attached to it.

The shaft B, which may be turned by a crank, pulley, or other device, has on it the gear C, driving the pinion D,on the shaft of which are two eccentrics, E and E', connected respectively to the two wash-boards or rubbers F and F', by the rods or links H.

A double crank may be substituted for the eccentrics, if preferred.

The rubbers F and F are pivoted upon and supported by the links G, pivoted in and working beneath y the platforms I and I', the platform I being omitted on the drawings, iig. l, and its position indicated by dotted lines, inorder to show the parts beneath.

The platform I is movable, and is pressed out so as to urge the rubber F towards the rubber F, by the links J, connected to cranks on the rock-shaft K, operated by the spring L, one end of'this spring being held by the rag-wheel N and pawl O, so that its tension may be adjusted, as required.

A weight or weights ,may be substituted forl the spring, if preferred, a cord connecting the same with a vpulley or drum on the shaft K.

The arm P, on the shaft K, is connected by the cord Q, passing over the pulley R, to the treadle S.

The eccentrics or cranks that give a reciprocating motion tothe rubbers F and F', are to be so arranged that when F is moving in one direction, F will move in the opposite direction.

Operation.

' drawing forward the arm P, turning .the shaft K, and

thus separating the rubbers. The clothing or stuff to be washed is` then placed between them, below the surface of the water, the shaft K released so that the spring L may press the rubbers together upon the wash between them and the alternating vibratory motion, above described, is then communicated to the rubbers by turning the shaft B.

The same operator can turn a crank on the shaft B with the right hand, handle the wash between the ,rub-

bers with the left, and separate the rubbers, as required, to facilitate the handling, with the foot.

The wheel N being within reach, it may be turned or released to increase or lessen the pressure upon the wash, at pleasure.

To promote the circulation of the water through the wash, the pressure upon it may be, from time to time, intermitted for an instant for thatpurpose, by operating the arm P. f

By the above-described construction and arrange? ment, I produce a simple, cheap, and highly efficient washing machine, having very little friction, and therefore requiring but a moderate power to operate it, adjustable in its pressure, operated with great facility and convenience, and performing the work beneath the surface of the water, which may be heated even to the boiling-point, if it should be thought desirable, the wash being, in that case, handled by means of a. suitable stick or hook.

I do not claim, broadly, rubbers traversed horizontally, nor rubbers arranged vertically and traversed in that direction, like those shown in the patent of I. Livingstone, July 2, 1867; but

I claim- 1. The arrangement of the vertical rubbers F and F', pivoted on the vibrating arms or links G, so as to allow them to be traversed horizontally edgewise, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the rubbers, arranged as described, the platforms I and I, for holding and guiding the links G, substantially as described.

3. rlhe combination, with the rubber F and platform I', of the crank-shaft K, links J, spring L, ragwheel N, and pawl O, fornmaintaining an adjustable pressure upon the wash` between the rubbers, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the crank-shaft K, arranged as described, the arm P, cord Q, pulley R, and footpiece S', substantially as described.

SPENCER B. PEUGH.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN F. GRAVES, HIRAM Hicks, N oRvEL PEUGH, ROBERT J. LOGAN, GEORGE W. HATTABAUGH. 

